HALF MARATHON
Most book or magazine training plans just build the distance of easy paced running over a period of time. Often that “easy” pace is to be 2 minutes slower than your race pace. My clients have had success with training at or faster than goal race pace for portions of those long runs. Training at Lactate Threshold is also needed to improve your performance. Threshold training includes short- and long-distance interval work and Tempo pace runs. It has been said that interval training is like rungs on a ladder. The rungs are 200m up to 5K. Everyone needs to spend time on the ladder, but the race distance will determine which rungs. For the half, the rungs are 400m up to 5K.
The training plans usually do not include any training on your race day hydration or a fueling plan. I incorporate practice recommendations of your race day fuel and hydration plans. I will research your race and, when possible, incorporate into your plan some training on terrain that replicates what you will see on race day. I also research race day logistics to help you determine when to arrive, where to park, etc.
It all starts with you contacting me so I can send you my Coaching Questionnaire. We would connect via personal meeting, Skype®, email, text message or voice telephone call to review the form and discuss your goal, I would create your training plan. Each week, we connect to discuss how the training went and what might need to be changed for the upcoming week’s training. If you have questions or need some advice or guidance during the week, you can contact me.
“I was a sprinter in high school but ran 5K road races in college. When I decided to move up to half marathons, Coach Hall wrote me a running plan that got me to the finish at my goal time. I set PR’s in the 5K, 10K, half and full thanks to the training I got from Coach Hall.”
— Elizabeth, 28, Boston
“Coach Hall wrote me a running plan that consisted of a long run, a speedwork run, and a recovery run and some simple guidelines on how to mix and match them as I wanted. Following that plan, I placed 2nd in my age group in the Hartford Half Marathon.”
— Steve, 18, Senior UCONN-Storrs